Carrbridge snowboarder Emily Rothney (13) shines in Swiss slopestyle championships
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Carrbridge snowboarder Emily Rothney dreams of one day competing at the Winter Olympics.
And at just 13 years of age she is already well on her way – having taken first place in the Swiss Under 15 slopestyle championships earlier this month.
Growing up in a family of wintersports lovers, with mother Kerrie, a ski instructor, and dad Craig, a snowboarding coach, it seems inevitable that Emily would follow in her parents' footsteps.
Even her grandmother Anne Dickson was a skier with the Scottish team.
Emily enjoyed her first taste of skiing as a baby before she started snowboarding aged just four.
Since then she has shown great potential to reach the upper echelons of the sport.
This has been further boosted by Emily being based for part of the past winter at the Snowpark in the Swiss resort of Laax – regarded as one of world's best snowsports training centres in the world – to further her development.
She has been training there with the Iceripper snowboard and skateboard club team from Germany.
And it has paid off with two recent excellent results.
As well as topping the podium at the Swiss champs in the U15s slopestyle, she took second place in the Audi Snowboard Series Laax Kids Open in March.
The contest is biggest children's snowboarding event in the world and attracted more than 400 of the best juniors from all over the world competing in snowboarding and skiing events.
Acheiving a best of 85.0, she finished second only to Lura Wick of Switzerland who scored 90.0 in the womens' U15 category.
This past year, she has also taken part in the Sudden Rush Bank Slalom at Laax, earning second place and the Vans High Standard in which she earned some money as a 'cash for tricks' event.
She also won the Young Doli Mini Pipe fun competition.
Dad Craig said: "When Emily was nine years old she went out to Laax in Switzerland where she took part in the BRITS and came home with a medal in slopestyle.
"She loved it."
"Emily has progressed so much, building her confidence and raising her skill set.
"She is awesome to watch and she is enjoying her snowboarding as well.
"Emily has so much potential and the only struggle is affording it in these current times."
With her Swiss victory under her belt, Emily now turns her attention to her next challenge.
She said: "I didn’t expect to win the Swiss championships, when they shouted my name for first place, I felt so happy as it’s the biggest competition I have entered.
"I love to snowboard. One day I hope to make it to the Winter Olympics, but for now I am now looking forward to next year, when I will compete at the World Rookie Tour."
The slopestyle event sees competitors tackle a variety of obstacles including rails, jumps and features with points awarded for amplitude, originality and quality of tricks.
